Kardashian's chauffeur released from French police custody

Pic: Getty Images

By

AFP

PublishedWednesday, January 11, 2017

French police investigating the armed robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris last year have released a driver employed by the star and believe a 72-year-old pensioner took part in the raid, a legal source told AFP Wednesday.

After a series of arrests at the start of the week, three people including a driver employed by the US celebrity were released on Wednesday, while another 14 people remain in custody, the source said.

Investigators believe they have detained five men who took part in the theft at a luxury apartment in central Paris, including two aged 72 and 60 who have long criminal records for robbery.

They tracked down the suspects after finding DNA at the crime scene which led to a surveillance operation on the suspects.

The arrest of a driver working for a company that provides chauffeurs to celebrities in Paris had led to suspicions that the gang had inside information on Kardashian's movements.

Armed and masked men wearing police uniforms burst into Kardashian's residence in October last year in the chic Madeleine area of the capital where 36-year-old and her entourage were staying during Paris Fashion Week.

Kardashian was tied up and locked her in the bathroom. The thieves fled with jewelry worth around nine million euros ($9.5 million), including a ring worth around four million euros.

The Kardashian family's French bodyguard Pascal Duvier was not at the scene at the time because he was providing security for Kim's sister Kourtney at a Paris nightclub.